Night Vision Enhancement Technology for Paratrooper Eye Protection Goggles

This SBIR project aims at developing a high sensitivity night vision viewer with broadband (near IR (NIR), mid-wave IR (MWIR), and long wave IR (LWIR)) coverage. Utilizing a specific transparent functional material developed at Boston Applied Technologies Incorporated (BATi) that has excellent pyroelectric effect, over strong absorption at NIR, MWIR and LWIR wavebands, perfect transmittance in certain visible wavelength, the intensity variation of an incident NIR, MWIR or/and LWIR radiation from a warm object can be transferred into intensity variation of a visible beam by a smart use of liquid crystal. The output visible image can then be view directly by naked eyes. Take the advantage of maturity in liquid crystal display industry and excellent capability of production of large size functional materials at BATi, the aperture of the viewer can fit the need for paratroopers. Compared with existing thermal imaging techniques, this invention will generate an uncooled imaging system of unprecedented low costs, yet with higher resolution, high sensitivity, and lower power consumption. In our Phase I work, we will demonstrate the feasibility and detailed design of the proposed viewer. In the Phase II efforts, we will advance towards the implementations of a viewer prototype with full functionality.